Let me preface this review by saying I’m a sucker for romantic-comedies and they have to be excruciatingly bad for me to not like them. Two come to mind immediately, “Must Love Dogs†starring Diane Lane and “The Wedding Date†with Debra Messing. God those movies sucked hardcore. While a majority of the reviews have not been the most favorable for “The Bounty Hunterâ€, I’m going to against the grain and state, “I liked itâ€.
Was it Masterpiece Theater? Hell to the no, it’s starring Jennifer Aniston. But then again, just a few years ago, you could’ve inserted Sandra Bullock in lieu of Aniston in the same context, and now you have to add the adjective Oscar winner in front of Bullock’s name. When it comes to most rom-coms, you have to throw common logic out the window and take it for what it is. Having said that, I quite enjoyed it and thought it was perfect for my little date night with Brian. Check after the jump to see what I liked and disliked about the movie.
If you don’t know what the movie premise, here’s a description written by Sony for imdb.com:
Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, gets his dream job when he is assigned to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurly (Jennifer Aniston). He thinks all that’s ahead is an easy payday, but when Nicole gives him the slip so she can chase a lead on a murder cover-up, Milo realizes that nothing ever goes simply with him and Nicole. The exes continually one-up each other – until they find themselves on the run for their lives. They thought their promise to love, honor and obey was tough – staying alive is going to be a whole lot tougher.
THINGS I LIKED
Most people fell in love with Jennifer Aniston, when she played Rachel Green on “Friendsâ€. If you’re one of those people, you’ll enjoy watching her in most of the movie.
When she wasn’t trying to impersonate Nancy Drew, or busy posing for the camera, adjusting that super-tight pencil skirt, she shined in the tender romantic moments with Butler.
Despite what a lot of people are saying, Butler and Anitson did have chemistry onscreen. I totally bought their love, hate, love (no spoiler alert needed… you knew they were going to hook up again) relationship. Sure the “Battle of the Sexes†cliche can be tiresome, but these two pulled it off with their comedic timing and likable personas.
The minute Christine Baranksi showed up onscreen as Aniston’s mom, I was sold. How could I possibly hate a movie where this ginger older goddess was in? She’s absolutely FAB-U-LOUS. The few scenes she had, she stole with her usual comedic flair.
The dinner scene at the Honeymoon getaway was hilarious, made even funnier with Butler’s age-inappropriate colorful outfit. If you see the movie, you’ll know what I mean.
Jennifer Anison pedaling a pedi-cab. Nuff said.
There’s something for everyone. If you’re a hetro male, you can ogle at Jennifer Aniston’s smoking bod. Seriously, give me the number of her trainer. The boobs, the legs, the hair… why is this woman still single?
For the ladies and the gays, Gerard doesn’t disappoint with his post-shower scene. He looked mighty fine outfitted with just a towel while exposing his glistening hairy torso. In the words of Gabourey Sidibe regarding Butler, “He’s kinda hot… I’d hit thatâ€.
THINGS THAT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER
Besides Christine Baranski, a few of the supporting characters were either lame, unnecessary or underdeveloped. The most annoying by far was, Aniston’s reporter colleague. His role was the epitome of the three previous adjectives I used.
While a plot device was needed to put Aniston and Butler together, the suicide/police cover-up mystery seemed more like an afterthought rather an integral part of the story. It was if the writers said, let’s have the two main characters have a moment and then let’s interrupt that moment with some random shooting or car chase.
Without giving too much away, the ending disappointed, Both Brian and I felt… “that’s it†when the credits rolled. I felt a few of the multitude of supporting characters’ stories were unresolved or left hanging with more questions.
Even though I did enjoy the movie, I was expecting a bit more considering the players involved. Butler was fantastic in “P.S. I Love Youâ€, Aniston in “Friends†and director, Andy Tennant, gave us gems like “Ever Afterâ€, “Hitch†and “Sweet Alabamaâ€. While “The Bounty Hunter†wasn’t as good as those three movies, it was a hecka lot better than Tennant’s less-than-impressive offerings like “Fool’s Gold†and “Fool’s Rush Inâ€.
Overall, if you’re looking for a way to spend a couple of relaxing hours with a few laugh-out-loud moments, definitely check out “The Bounty Hunter†this weekend. Out of five possible stars, I give this flick three.